A long list of Long Island beaches will be closed this weekend because heavy rains has submerged countless cesspools; now that contaminated water is following into our rivers, ponds, and bays, along with fertilizer from lawns and from farms.

The troubles in Toledo this weekend might seem the stuff of science fiction, but the truth is that a major American city, perched along the Great Lakes just went three days without drinking water after pollution poisoned their supply.